Search support systems typically provide an interface to users for submitting search requests to a database according to a file system maintained by the search support system. The database and file system of the search support system are transparent to the user. Such search requests are efficiently processed over the database, according to the file system, and can be carried out in real time. Different search support systems will typically have proprietary databases and unique file systems. For multiple searches over multiple databases of different search support systems, users must login to each different search support system and submit their search request.
Greater user convenience could be achieved if different databases could be accessed from a single login at a single search support system. Nevertheless, users would prefer not to achieve greater convenience at the expense of delay in the search response time.